Why and How Long?

[shaffer96]

Hi, I am just curious why you all chose HOD and how long you have been using the curriculum?
Thanks!

[mamanlait]

Fun question!
I started using LHTH with my youngest child around 2007-8. My oldest was using a different literature rich curriculum at the time and I had a desire to try something more hands-on with youngest for pre-school. She loved it and I loved it so much that the next year I switched my oldest over to Bigger (well, actually, I tried to use Preparing first but she wasn't quite ready for it so we jumped back to Bigger after a few weeks). We've been using it ever since.

Why have we continued with HOD? Other than the clearly designed mesh of secular and Biblical history using both non-fiction and historical fiction texts, I can trust that the literature will be safe as we strive for holiness and a life pleasing to God. This principle that separates us from the world is one that I really try to hold to as I homeschool (ie. trash in = trash out). Now, as we are higher in the guides, I have seen the academic strength HOD produces and I trust not just the literature choices but also the science, grammar, math, and so forth to provide a college prep education. All in all, HOD takes my anxiety away. I believe that this curriculum has been a grace provision for my family that empowers me to continue with our homeschool journey.

[StephanieU]

We found HOD about a year ago, and we just started our second guide with the oldest.
I was looking for a living book history curriculum, and some friends had recommended MFW. But, placement and price made MFW not ideal for us (my daughter was beyond many of the 3R skills for 1st but not ready for Adventures with MFW). Somehow I stumbled on HOD, and it seemed perfect. It allows me to customize the 3Rs, which is very important since my oldest is advanced there by almost 2 years. And you aren't spending a lot of money on things you aren't going to use as a result. We LOVED LHFHG and are enjoying Beyond VERY slowly this summer. I think HOD is a great mix of classical and CM teaching styles, something I was looking for. We have no plans on changing to anything else.

[Nealewill]

I have used HOD for one year. Prior to finding HOD, I have used a ton of different stuff. I started out with Abeka but it was too much book work. After 2 years of that, I decided to be eclectic. That was okay, definitely more fun! But it was lot of planning on me and I still didn't have as much hands on as I wanted. Then in 4th year of homeschooling, we tried MFW. I had a lot of friends who used it and encouraged me to try it. We really did have a great year with that but all of kids were still separated at that time. Plus, I modified some stuff to meet my kids needs a bit. This past year, I actually started the year off with MFW again but we had made it to the 5 year cycle. This year went terribly because my kids learning together is not a good fit for us at all. I had discovered HOD because I wanted to modify MFW to meet my family's needs better. I feel like that is all I did for the last 5 years LOL - modify everything to meet my family better. So when I ordered the catalog from HOD to modify my year, I absolutely fell in love with it. I ended up switching everyone over to HOD last October. It was the best thing I ever did! I finally feel like we have found the perfect fit for our family and the best part is....no modifications LOL. We use it as is and my kids love it too. So needless to say, we are NEVER switching!!!!!

[Nealewill]

I forgot to tell you why we chose HOD. I know I said we love it but didn't say why

For me - I came from a very rigorous educational background. I wanted a similar path for my kids but not because I want them over extended and exasperated. I want them to learn a ton but love to learn. I love the volume that HOD covers with each level, I love the variety they learn about and I love skill building and balance as well. For me, when I chose HOD last year, I loved that the kids started to become independent with Preparing and that they were eased into the workload. I love the volume of writing that the kids do. They don't over do it at all but they do increase in volume each year. I love the selections they choose for the 3rs. For me, this is the challenge I had with other programs. I found that math, grammar, reading and writing weren't balanced with the other subjects because the day just didn't balance itself. I love the spelling with HOD way more than anything I have found! I find that it is so natural in teaching kids to spell because this is how we naturally learn anyway. I love that the program is SO balanced. I love the hands on activities. I love art especially - I felt like with other programs it was too much or not enough. I love how HOD, in general, teaches the kids to think - the learn to think in general about everything they are learning. I love the lit program as well. I felt like other programs were a lot of busy work and it didn't have the variety. I love that HOD uses different resources for different subjects. I love that they use 4 different types of writing programs between Preparing and MTMM. I always wanted my kids to learn for different vendors anyway. So they. So they learn from R&S but also from the creative writing in Preparing, and then they us IEW, Write with the Best, and the Exciting World of Creative Writing. I absolutely love the science! I love that they don't do the high school Apologia most of all! And I love all of the biographies and living books. The science is probably what first brought me to thinking about switching. And I love the arts - I love that they learn about Shakespeare in R2R, I love the inventor's study (science I know), I love the music study in MTMM. And finally I love how Bible is completed in each level. I love that scripture is constantly applied to everything they learn. So I guess in closing - I just love all of it!!!!

[LynnH]

We have used HOD for 5 years, from Preparing up to the guide we just finished, MTMM. When I brought my ds home from ps I originally though I would do an eclectic mix of things that were more textbook based, but I found HOD purely by "accident" and being a book lover I loved the looks of it. My ds however was struggling with some reading comprehension issues in ps and in fact the thing he struggled with the most was telling the details back after he read something. He also had tremors in his hands and writing was a real struggle. I looked at HOD and the amount of writing and copywork and also the oral and written narration aspect and thought I was crazy for considering this type of learning for my ds. In fact some people I talked to thought I was crazy for thinking about a Charlotte Mason based program for him because he really hated to read. The 20 minutes he was supposed to read for ps each night often brought him to tears because it overwhelmed him and the books held no interest to him. However as I looked at other programs God kept bringing me back to HOD. I loved how God's word was a priority. I talked to my dh about it and after prayer from both us we felt strongly that God was leading us to HOD and to trust Him that it would work for my ds. Carrie and Julie was amazingly helpful in answering any questions and helping to make sure it would work with my ds. I can say without hesitation that God lead us to HOD and it has been a huge blessing to our family. My ds has achieved things I never thought he would. He now loves to draw, pretty amazing if you see his tremors. The kid that was only supposed to be able to write his name in cursive can now do copywork in cursive. He still doesn't love to read in his free time, but he enjoys reading the HOD books during school time. In ps he would study for a test and quickly forget the material. He had zero interest in anything to do with history and science was just a subject. Now the things he learns carry over into his life. In fact when asked where he wanted to go on vacation next year he said Washington DC because MTMM and the presidents study has put a desire in him to see the monuments, capitol building etc. The bible studies have been so timely in teaching just the right things at the right time. I guess you can tell we love HOD and I am so thankful we found it in the very beginning of our homeschooling journey.

[MelInKansas]

I have been using HOD for 5 years now. I chose it mainly because I saw them at the MPE conference (please come back to MPE!), had a chance to look at the books and talk with someone... wish I knew now who that was... and bought LHTH then. I did LHTH with my oldest and 2nd born the following year and it was a great year! I loved how everything was planned out and therefore I knew it was complete, even though it was short and simple each day. I was skeptical of some of the activities at first, or at least thought, "aw, we don't really need to do that, I think they already know that." I now regret my skipping ways, though my DD has still learned and grown and gotten a lot out of the guides even when I was bad about skipping things. I want to teach them to be finishers and to follow through. We have so enjoyed every little bit of learning we have done, even in subjects that are difficult or things that I myself am not good at teaching or doing (like art). I too love how central the Bible is to all aspects of our study and how Biblical truth is always touched on in all the areas. I love the one-on-one time with each of my kids in separate guides (though at one point I wanted to combine them but now I am glad I didn't, they are each thriving at their own level). I love the literature based study. It is so much more engaging and interesting, and memorable than textbook style history or science would be.

[StillJulie]

Ease of use

Love the books

Kids enjoy it (and I do too)

We started when my oldest was in third grade (Bigger Hearts) and have been using it ever since. She'll be in ninth grade in August and will use the World Geography guide. You can see in my signature what other guides we'll have for the 2014-2015 year.

[my3good&perfectgifts]

It's the most Christ centered curriculum I've found.

God led me to it and I felt it was His will without a doubt, for us to use it.

I completely trust Carrie's judgment (and Julie's) on what is needed to prepare my children academically.

It stetches me and makes me try to be the mom and teacher I so deeply desire to be in so many ways. It makes me take the time to do the fun stuff too..

I love memorizing the Scripture with my boys.

I love the open and go format all on 2 pages. I love that Carrie tells me exactly what to do in each box.

We have used HOD for 4 years. We took last year off to try some online classes, but my heart is drawn to HOD, so all my children will be doing HOD this coming school year. I'm so excited, we start in July!

[MomtoJGJE]

We've used HOD for... going on 7 years I think? We used it from the beginning with my oldest, actually started with Beyond with her, but should have started with LHFHG and did Beyond twice with her.

Occasionally I think "It would be very fun to put together my own stuff" Then I actually attempt it for a unit study between guides and it just doesn't go so well... we are all ready to go back to HOD by the time that three weeks is over

When I first started thinking about homeschooling I was researching everything. I knew I didn't want to "school at home" with textbooks, at least my first year. I also knew that something like Sonlight wouldn't work for us because my kids HATED being read to with a passion. I was not interested in combining because Grace was nowhere NEAR ready for school, even LHTH. I liked the way a friend of mine described her schooling, that when the younger ones started school they just fit in to where they were. So I looked at her stuff (she had MFW) and I just could not understand how I was supposed to follow it... there were WAY too many words for this visual person. I also was trying to figure out how I was supposed to keep a basket of books available for them to read when I had babies and toddlers eating books. Then somehow I found HOD. I loved that you could combine, but didn't have to (I was under the impression that you had to with MFW for it to work) I also loved all the blank space on the guide and that each day was EASY to follow. Basically I loved the boxes!

I knew that I wanted a more Charlotte Mason approach. I did not want classical because that was basically the way I learned in school and it did nothing for my overall learning. I didn't want to unschool because I knew my Dh would not agree with that at that point. I loved the Montessori style, but knew I could not realistically recreate that at home. Waldorf was too out there for DH. And Charlotte Mason just fit with how we lived life anyway.

I can say that my kids are already, by the end of 5th grade, more prepared for college than I was. By the end of CTC they know how to find information, they know how to figure out the important things from their readings, and because of that and narrating to me, they know what to listen for when people are talking.

As long as we homeschool I do not see any reason we will be changing away from HOD.

[8arrows]

We have used HOD for 5-6 years. I started out with Abeka and then used Sonlight. When my son asked why we were reading a book I had to use so much white out in, I looked elsewhere. Then we switched to MFW, which is a really nice, Biblical program. However, HOD is even more my style. I switched because HOD slowly leads the student toward independence. My oldest 2 could have used that! The grammar, writing, and science are also more to my liking. I appreciate that I can combine my children within reason. HOD is Biblically based--this is the number one priority for me. My kids LIKE it! I like the combination of audio, video, and print in the older guides. The notebook pages are beautiful. My children make connections with other books and everyday life! This is another huge reason I stick with HOD. My children made so many connections in MTMM this year about why society is what it is today and why we have made Biblical choices in out lives. They asked many questions about God's Word. They also asked many questions about entertainment, women's roles, welfare, war, prejudice, etc., and they really connected the events with real life because they were reading about real people and real events. As a humorous side note, my children had read about hippies, but their understanding was blurred. When they watched the American testimony video, they said, "So that's what hippies looked like!" They also commented about how nice everyone used to dress for everyday life, because the saw and read about REAL people in REAL life. Do not get me wrong, I love historical fiction, and HOD uses that too. However, the students are already experiencing the real people and the real events from history, which makes the historical fiction MUCH richer. I would not want to give up what we are learning!

[Homeschooling6]

We've been using HOD for 3 years. My two middle boys used Preparing and CtC so far. My daughter has used it for two years. She is currently finishing up MtMM and is looking forward to the high school guide: World Geography.

My eldest son is using HOD for the first time (World Geography) and is loving it.

Why? We love the schedule. We love that Carrie has done all the footwork. My dd said her HOD years have been the best and she has retained a lot more than when we were pulling history from here, science from there, writing from all over the place, etc.

Josh my 10th grader feels a sense of accomplishment. He knows what needs to be done everyday, and can check off the boxes as he goes. He is a box checker type person. At first I thought HOD would not work for him because he is a textbookish kind of learner but we gave it a go and he is doing great. He's looking forward to the next guide.

As a mom I know my kids are getting a good education using HOD and that takes a huge weight off my shoulders.

So many of the programs like the Pilgrims Progress in the World History Guide for instance are things I wanted to do with my kids but have never been able to fit them in. Well you know what, Carrie has fit them in and we will get to use them. Pilgrims Progress was just one. Others are the Logic books in WG Guide, the Apologia worldview series (some of them), Spanish, Mapping the World with Art, and more. I tell the kids that God knew

My kids LOVE the books. I love the book. We all love books and Carrie has picked some really amazing ones.

[Michaeljenn]

I have not actually used HOD of Dakota yet, but I plan to this fall. I have Beyond, Preparing and CTC and have read through most of books and Guides... I LOVE it! It is so Christ Centered!

However, what really sold me on HOD was Carrie. I had the opportunity to speak with her at the Arlington convention a year ago. I got to the convention right when they opened the doors and headed straight to the HOD book. She spent well over and hour with me explaining and answering my many questions:) She was so nice and very helpful. It is always nice to be able to actually talk to the writer of the curriculum!

I am so excited for this year!

[momtofive]

Our family has been blessed by HOD for going on five years now! We started when our oldest was going into fifth grade with Preparing Hearts. Between him and my younger kids, we've used pretty much all the guides now!

When we began homeschooling our oldest for his kindergarten year, I asked around at church, to all the seasoned homeschool moms. Many of them recommended what they used for their kids back in the 80's and 90's. It was primarily a textbook/workbook style curriculum. So we started out with that type of curriculum. It served us well for three years, as I got my feet wet with homeschooling. Since my dh and I went to public school, I needed that bit of hand-holding as we started out, as I didn't know anything about homeschooling then. Well, long story short, that method over time was killing our ds's love of learning, and he started to dread school, as something to just get through. Most school days brought tears! That broke my mama's heart, because it means so much to me that our children love to learn and explore all that God has for them!

After MUCH prayer, and some catalog searching, we were very blessed to find HOD!!! The biggest thing for me is that it's Christ-centered, and God-honoring! It's also a great way to teach your childen in a fun way, bringing a wholesome richness to learning. The turn-around in our children since beginning HOD has been absolutely amazing! They love learning, and enjoy doing school, and has unleashed such creativity in them. I know I can trust Carrie's choices, because of the many times she's shown her own heart through the writing in the guides. The assignments/activities have led my kids to have a deeper, more faith-filled walk with the Lord. So often, I feel like what we're learning is for me, too! She's always picked such high quality books that I know I would have had to search for ages to find. There have been so many different books out there that I've thought would be nice to use someday, and usually I end up finding them on the sneak peaks for upcoming guides! I can't say enough how blessed we are by HOD! Each evening we gather the kids for devotions and prayer, and almost every night, at least one of them is praying for Miss Carrie and the HOD family, asking that God continue to bless them, as well as thanking them for all the fun things they get to do for school. That right there, pretty much says it all for me!

Last year, we had the opportunity to have our kids take some standardized tests. (We live in a state that doesn't require it for homeschoolers, so they had not been tested until then.) I was curious to see how they'd do. Well, every one of them scored well above their grade level in all subjects. . . . which was a nice confirmation that this type of learning is working for them! So for all those reasons and so many more, we choose HOD!